The Wolf

I noticed the stares almost immediately.

At first, I ignored it, because I thought I understood. Thorn had a reputation, and the tribe's behavior throughout the village reflected that. People stared whenever I was up and about. Whether it was out of hate, disgust, suspicion, or just fear, I'd learned to just brush it off and carry on.

But then I noticed one woman who had stopped what she was doing altogether, her head turning to follow me as I passed by.

Another therian nudged the man standing next to him and quietly pointed in my direction.

These weren't the same stares that I usually received whenever I wandered through the village. This was different, like they couldn't believe what they were seeing.

Shade walked close beside me with Bunny clutched firmly in his hands. I made sure to keep my strides short, making it easier for his little legs to keep up.

As we passed by another hut, somebody looked directly at Shade. Then they looked at me. Then back at Shade.

That's when it clicked, and my pace slowed even more.

These people weren't just staring at Thorn. They were staring at Thorn walking through the village with his son.

Shade pressed himself closer to me as we made our way down the main path, clearly put off by all of the eyes that were now suddenly on him.

"Father?" he piped up, "Why do people keep looking at us?"

"I don't really know," I answered, keeping my voice low, "That's what I'm trying to figure out."

Ordinarily, I did my best to tune out most of the village gossip that pertained to Thorn. Now, I kept my ears open, doing my best to catch every little whisper and mutter.

"Is that Shade walking next to Thorn over there?"

"I heard Thorn was nesting all night the other night..."

"Well, I heard he cooked something for his cub yesterday..."

"Apparently, he's been helping Bone a lot lately..."

"I heard that Bone actually had to tell him to stop working and go home!"

I suppressed a smirk.

Yes, Thorn was working and taking care of his son. It shouldn't have been anything worth talking about. And yet it was. Because it was Thorn that was doing these things.

Of course, there was the ugly side to all of the gossip, too.

"He's got some nerve..."

"Took him long enough..."

"Don't fall for it! He's done things like this before..."

"Give it a week..."

That last one stung more than the others, for some reason.

A week? Was that it? I had been doing the same work that I had done for Bone on the Willoughby homestead for years . Sure, adding a child into the mix was new territory for me, but the wisdom I had grown up with from Grandpa made it doable. More than that, it seemed to be working.

I could handle doing the work, and I was starting to believe that I could handle taking care of Shade. I wasn't about to wake up one of these mornings and turn into the kind of man that Thorn was. Grandma and Grandpa had brought me up to be better than that...

But this village didn't know that.

"Don't fall for it! He's done things like this before..."

I let those words sit with me for a moment.

So Thorn had tried before, and he wound up failing? That seemed to line up pretty well with what Bone had told me the other day, after I had finished cleaning and reorganizing his storage den.

"He stopped trying..."

I suppressed another smirk.

Stopped trying, huh? Well, if there was one thing Rain and Bone were quickly learning about me, it's that I was incredibly stubborn.

I wasn't about to stop trying. If anything, I was only getting started.

"Father?" Shade spoke up again, "Is something wrong? You look kinda sick?"

I glanced down at him, finally allowing that smirk to break through.

"Oh, it's nothing," I said, looking down at him, "People are just curious about us, that's all."

"Why?"

I thought about it for a moment.

"Because this is new to them, I guess," I explained, "And sometimes new is scary."

"Oh..." Shade lowered his gaze to the ground for a few seconds before he looked up at me again, "Is it new for you, too?"

That one caught me off guard as I looked back down at him.

There wasn't any accusation in his voice. If anything, Shade sounded genuinely curious.

In a way, I guess it was new for me. A few days ago, I hadn't even known that this little boy existed. I had never held the responsibility of caring for a child. Now I was shortening my steps so that he could keep up with me, making sure he ate, teaching him about stew and traps, and making sure I remained still as he slept next to me so I wouldn't wake him up.

"Yeah," I admitted, "A little."

Shade dropped his gaze, "Is it scary to you, too?"

My chest tightened.

If I was being honest, yeah, it was. I still didn't fully know what it was I was supposed to be doing here, or if this was where I'd remain in the long term. And yet here I was, slowly working on trying to gain Shade's trust as he seemed to grow more attached to me by the hour. And what's more, I was slowly becoming attached to him in return.

I opened my mouth to give him an answer, only to be interrupted by a voice ringing out from somewhere ahead of us.

"Shade!"

Shade's head snapped up as something came barreling out of the trees and onto the path. I barely had enough time to register the slender silhouette of a woman before she scooped him off of his feet.

"There's my little rabbit!" she said with delight.

Shade let out a squeal that pierced my ears as she hoisted him higher.

"I'm not a rabbit!" he laughed, "I'm a lynx!"

"A lynx?" the woman gasped dramatically, "Well, what am I supposed to do with one of those?"

Shade dissolved into a fit of giggling as her slender arms pulled him tight against her chest. The short, feathery locks of her grey and tan hair flew in all directions as she rubbed her cheek vigorously against the side of his head.

For a moment, I just stood there and stared.

Shade was laughing . Not just smiling or giggling, but actually laughing.

I probably would have found the whole thing relieving - heartwarming, maybe even a little bit funny - had it not been for something inside of me snapping me to attention.

Wolf...

The thought crashed into my mind out of nowhere, making my shoulders tense.

Wolf...

A wolf has Shade. My son...

A low rumble rolled up from somewhere deep in my chest.

The woman and I froze. For a moment, neither of us moved as Shade dangled happily in her arms, completely oblivious.

Slowly, the woman's copper-colored eyes lifted towards me.

Another growl rose into my chest. Quiet, but unmistakeable. I clamped my mouth shut.

The woman stared at me in shock for several drawn out seconds. She looked down at Shade, then back to me before she blinked and slowly raised a brow, looking thoroughly unamused.

"Seriously?" she asked flatly.

Heat crawled up the back of my neck as I felt my cheeks start to burn.

"Sorry..." I muttered, clearing my throat, "I-I just..."

Something changed in her expression. Not fear. Not anger. If anything, she appeared to be intrigued.

Carefully, she lowered Shade back onto his feet, and the tension eased out of my shoulders almost as quickly as it had come.

The woman noticed, her eyes narrowing slightly, "Huh..."

Shade looked between us before his eyes settled onto me.

"Why did you growl at Echo?" he asked.

"I-I don't know," I stammered, scratching at the back of my head, "I have no idea what came over me."

The woman - Echo - folded her arms, "I think I do."

Taking a deep breath, Echo turned to Shade.

"Why don't you go out and play with the other cubs?" she suggested, pointing to the center of the village, "I need to borrow your father for a little while."

I couldn't help but raise a brow at that. Borrow me?

Shade's brow furrowed, "Why?"

Echo looked up at me. Her face maintained a friendly expression, but the placid smile on her narrow face didn't quite reach her eyes. Something about it suddenly made me very nervous.

"I have some questions that I need to ask him."

My stomach dropped. There it was.

Shade hugged Bunny against himself as he looked to where Echo had pointed.

"Why can't I come?" he asked.

"Because these are just boring grown-up questions," she replied, "Run along, now. Go play."

Shade paused. He looked at me, then towards the center of the village, then back at me.

I let out a quiet sigh. He was trying to ask me for permission again.

I tossed a glance to the handful of children that I could see playing between the huts. I knew perfectly well that Shade would be safe. Even so, I hesitated, the strange tension that had gripped me when Echo had grabbed him having not completely worked its way out of my system yet.

"Go on," I finally said, "Just stay where I can see you."

Shade smiled, "Okay!"

I watched him as he hurried away, refusing to tear away my gaze until he reached the other children. Only then did I turn around to face Echo.

She stood there, facing me with her arms crossed as she fixed me with a curious stare.

"What?" I asked.

"You really are different," she said, tilting her head.

I stiffened. Could she tell? Did she already know that I wasn't really Thorn?

"Oh, relax!" Echo continued, rolling her eyes as she waved her hand dismissively, "It's all half of the village has been talking about lately."

"So I've noticed," I said, letting my shoulders drop slightly.

Echo's eyes scanned my body from head to toe as she started pacing in circles around me, suddenly making me feel like I was cornered prey.

"I hear you've been working with Bone..." she commented.

I nodded, "I have."

"And cleaning your hut?"

"Yes."

"And nesting?"

I sighed, "Whatever that's supposed to mean. I guess?"

Amusement started to dance in Echo's gaze, "And what's this I hear about you cooking for a whole party of guests at your hut?"

I shrugged, "We were hungry, and I know how to cook."

Echo smirked, "And now you're growling at people who pick up Shade?"

"That was an accident."

Echo rolled her eyes again, "Sure it was..."

I heaved another sigh, "The past few days have been a little strange for me."

"So I've heard..." she studied me for another moment before turning away, "Come with me."

I tilted my head, "Where are we going?"

"To my hut."

I didn't move. Why would she want me over at her hut?

Echo glanced over her shoulder and nodded towards Shade, "You've got questions, yes?"

I returned the nod, "Sure."

She paused before pointing at herself, "I've got plenty more."

That statement sounded vaguely threatening.

"What is this exactly?" I asked, narrowing my eyes.

Echo smiled, "An interrogation."

I cringed slightly. At least she was being honest.

I glanced back at Shade again. He was already sitting in the snow with two other children, Bunny apparently having been included in whatever game they'd started playing.

Echo followed my gaze. She smiled fondly at him before looking up at me.

"He'll be fine," she said.

I nodded, "I know."

"And yet, you're still checking..."

I turned to her. She was watching me closely again, studying me like this was an ongoing experiment she was conducting.

That was when I finally understood. She hadn't come looking for Shade. She had come to look for me.

Echo turned again and started walking. After a moment of hesitation, I followed.

The two of us stepped off of the main path, and entered a hut near the center of the village. I let my worries about Shade ease slightly. We were close enough that I could still hear him and the other children playing nearby. Like Echo had said, he would be fine.

It was myself that I needed to be concerned about.

"So you've heard the rumors," I stated as I settled myself on a rock that sat beside a smouldering firepit.

Echo's expression changed. Not by much, but enough to confirm it for me.

"Everyone has," she said shortly as she seated herself on a pelt across from me.

"And you wanted to see for yourself..."

Echo shrugged, "I don't make a habit of blindly trusting the village chatter."

I smirked, "I thought you just said I was different?"

Echo scowled, "You are... And I don't trust that."

I frowned a little at that. She wasn't the first, and I doubted she was going to be the last.

Echo watched me silently for several seconds before she leaned forward, letting her elbows rest against her crossed legs.

"Let's play a game," she finally said, lacing her fingers together, "A simple game of Truth or Chatter."

I raised a brow at her, "How do you play?"

"It's really quite simple. I tell you something that I've been hearing people say around the village, and you respond by saying whether it's true, or if it's just chatter."

I thought about it for a moment. A true or false interrogation, huh? I supposed I could handle that.

"Alright," I said, giving her a nod, "Hit me."

Echo kept her expression flat as she began.

"You fell through the ice while you were out cold fishing."

I nodded, "True."

"You woke up in the healer's den with no memory."

I paused. That was neither true nor false. I woke up with my memories, not Thorn's. How exactly was I supposed to answer that?

"Chatter," I finally said, "I have my memories."

Echo's mouth curled upwards mischievously.

"Really..." she hummed, considering my words for a moment before moving on, "You chased Rain through the forest for pestering you."

I barked out a laugh, "Do people really think that's what happened?"

"They do."

I could only sit there and chuckle as I shook my head, "Chatter. It was a foot race so that Rain could assess my physical condition."

Echo nodded, "You cleaned and organized Bone's storage den."

"True."

"And you and Bone were able to share a meal together without fighting."

"True."

"You've been trying particularly hard to help people around the village."

"True."

"Alright..." Echo tapped a finger against her chin, not once taking her eyes off of me, "You're only doing all of this to make up for the tantrum you threw before you left to go cold fishing."

I froze. The only information I had that pertained to Thorn and what he had been up to before that fateful fishing trip was that he had gotten into a massive argument with Raven. But a tantrum ? Over what?

"Chatter," I replied hesitantly, "I'm doing this because I want to."

The smirk on Echo's face broke into a toothy grin.

"You nested all night in an attempt to erase the damage you caused and start over."

I shook my head, "That's not-"

"You're taking care of Shade now so that - when the time comes - he'll like you more, and you can turn him against Raven."

That one really hurt.

I stood up from my seat, "Now listen here-"

Echo lifted a hand cutting me off. She remained seated, still as a statue while her eyes strained upwards to meet mine.

Slowly, the grin that had spread across her face fell and her eyes narrowed.

"You're not really Thorn."

My eyes widened.

She knew.

I had no idea how, but I wasn't about to try to convince her otherwise, and I was done pretending.

I lowered myself back down onto the rock, letting my shoulders sag as I let out a defeated sigh.

"True."

Echo's expression didn't change. An uncomfortable silence settled between us before she finally straightened herself.

"Who are you?" she asked, her voice suddenly turning cold and serious, "Where did you come from?"

I let out a long breath out through my nose. Here we go again...

"My name is David Willoughby," I explained, "I'm from Alaska."

Echo's face twisted in confusion, "That's not a real name, and that's not a real place."

All I could do was shake my head. What I would have given to have Rain, Flower, Bone - literally anyone who knew about this situation - at my side to help me out.

"It's the truth," I said, "And the truth is I'm not actually from this world. I don't know how this happened... Storm could probably explain it better than I could. All I know is that I fell through the ice while I was ice fishing one day, I blacked out, and I woke up here, stuck as... this."

I gestured to myself.

Echo looked like she had gone completely catatonic with shock.

Eventually, she blinked, snapping herself out of whatever trance my explanation had put her in.

"I knew this whole time that you weren't really Thorn," she stated.

I raised my brows at her and stared. There was just no way.

Apparently, Echo knew as much as she turned to look away from me.

"Well, I knew something wasn't right," she corrected herself, "The Thorn that I know would have never done any of the things that you've been doing. Not to the extent that you've been doing them. Meeting you today just solidified it for me."

I tilted my head, "And what exactly would Thorn have done, if I may ask?"

Echo crossed her arms.

"He would have fought Bone, at some point," she began, "He would have given up trying to help people as soon as they started talking scat about him. He wouldn't apologize for things as easily as you do. And as for Shade..."

My jaw clenched at the mention of Shade's name.

"Thorn would have never allowed him to come with him into the village," Echo continued, "He never would have cooked for him, or had any sort of patience for him. He definitely wouldn't have growled at me simply for picking him up. In fact, he likely would have viewed it as a reason to dump him onto me."

I dragged a hand down my face as I felt my embarrassment return.

"I told you, that was an accident," I groaned, "I really don't know what came over me back there. Something in my mind just screamed, 'a wolf has my son' and I reacted. I wasn't thinking. I-"

"Hey, Day-Day! Relax..."

The casual tone in Echo's voice pulled me out of my spiral. She had both of her hands raised in submission as she leaned back slightly, that placid smile having returned to her face.

"I told you, I already knew what was going on there," she pointed out, "Your paternal instinct kicked in. That's a good thing. At least you have one... "

I breathed a sigh of relief as I let my shoulders relax.

"I'm sorry," I said, "Logically, I knew you were just a person, and that Shade was safe. He was having such a good time with you, too."

Echo smiled as she scooted herself a little closer to me.

"Instinct doesn't care if something is logical. It goes for what is practical. Yours thought Shade might be in danger, and you responded. Again, that's a good thing."

I nodded, "So... Are we good?"

"Not quite. You haven't told me what you're doing here, or why you're pretending to be Thorn. What did you do with him?"

I shook my head again, "I honestly don't know."

Echo raised another brow at me as she planted her hands on her thighs.

"I don't know why I was brought to this world or where the real Thorn is now," I explained, "Storm says it has something to do with the water and spirits. Rain believes that he's more or less dead..."

"So why are you pretending to be him?"

I thought for a moment, then I shrugged.

"What else was I supposed to do?"

Echo blinked at me, and then frowned. She didn't seem to have an answer to that one. Her eyes searched her thoughts for a moment before looking back up.

"And Shade?" she asked.

I felt a slight smile tug at the corners of my mouth.

"I hated how afraid he was," I confessed, "I wanted him to feel safe with me. To know that he could trust me. He's just a kid. He deserves to have a home that he feels safe in. To be able to eat, sleep, and play without needing to ask for permission first. To have a father that he can look up to, and not feel like he needs to hide from."

A silence settled between us once more, and I became intensely aware of how personal my confession had gotten.

I cleared my throat, "Um... I-I mean-"

Echo lifted her hand again.

"I agree."

I felt my heart jump in my chest, "Really?"

Echo gave me another smile, one that finally reached up into her eyes.

"Shade does deserve those things, and more," she stated, "And you're the one that's providing that for him. You nested , Day-Day! Do you have any idea how significant that is?"

I wanted to let myself fall back onto the floor.

" No , I don't !" I groaned, "Nobody's bothered explaining it to me. In my mind, all I did was clean and make Thorn's hut slightly more livable."

Echo dropped her head as she let out an airy laugh, "You seriously don't know what nesting is?"

"No, I don't. Please, enlighten me."

Echo did her best to pull herself together as she straightened herself back out.

"Tell me if this sounds familiar," she started, "You entered Thorn's hut, saw something that you didn't like, and you removed it."

I wrinkled my nose, "You mean all of those smelly, worn out old pelts? Yes."

"Then you noticed something was dirty, and you cleaned it."

"The broken bowls, the dirty table, and the dust and hair that was collecting in the corners? Yes."

"Then something about how the den was laid out didn't sit right with you, so you kept switching things around until you were satisfied and you felt comfortable."

"Only so I could get some sleep..."

Echo lifted a finger as a knowing look crossed her face.

"But you didn't get comfortable, did you? You kept finding things that needed adjusting until, eventually, you had no other choice but to stop. I bet we could go to Thorn's hut right now, and you'd still find things that you want to change."

I clamped my mouth shut. She wasn't wrong.

"That's what nesting is, Day-Day," she said, "It's normal. That's your hut, now."

I considered it for a moment.

My hut...? Something about that statement didn't quite ring true.

I frowned.

"What's the matter?" Echo asked.

I let out a small sigh, "It's just... I don't know how much longer I'm going to, you know... Be here."

Echo's eyes widened slightly, "What do you mean?"

"What I mean is that I still have no idea how I wound up entering this world or why I was placed into this body. I don't know if this is something permanent, or if something could happen that could undo it. What if something happens to me, and Thorn winds up coming back?"

Echo paused and thought about it for several seconds. A slightly disturbed look settled onto her face.

"I'll ask Storm about that and report back to you," she finally said, "For now, I think you should be getting back to Shade."

I smirked, "Does that mean that this interrogation is over?"

Echo jabbed a finger at me, "For now..."

I rolled my eyes as I slowly pushed myself onto my feet.

"In the meantime," Echo continued, "You say you want to help out, yes?"

I immediately perked up, remembering the whole reason why Shade and I had ventured out into the village in the first place.

"Yes," I replied, "I'm in need of a few things. Mainly just food and firewood. I was going to see if Bone had any more work waiting for me back at his hut."

Echo's brow furrowed, "That's it?"

My own brow furrowed at her question, "Uh... yeah, pretty much."

Echo blinked, "Are you unwell?"

I laughed, "Well, Rain seems to think so."

"Well, Rain worries too much. If you can cut down a tree and know how to hunt, you can get those things yourself," Echo shot me a look, "You do know how to do those things, correct?"

I nodded, "Yes."

"Then why are you asking Bone for work in exchange for things that you can go and gather yourself?"

That question struck a certain chord with me. Back in Alaska, chopping down trees for firewood and hunting for food was just another aspect of our lives. I might not have a chainsaw here, but I'd bet I could find an axe. The trap might not catch a rabbit today, but I bet I could find more prey if I ventured out into the woods and looked.

Why was I asking Bone for work for things I could gather myself?

I smiled.

"You know, Echo. You make an excellent point." 153Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8iAc5MEwa5

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